Praise God when it is hard

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We have to praise God

We started with this premise two weeks ago, and the point still rings true to this day. We have to praise God. It is how we were created, and what we were designed for.
We said last time that it is easy when its easy and we just forget, but now we are talking about when it is hard.

What do you turn to?

When life gets hard, what is the thing that you turn to or run to?
Background on what we are talking about, this Psalm, Psalm 42 was written in a time of exile. The authors are not allowed to return to the temple in order to worship the Lord.
They are being persecuted, punished, and removed from their home. Especially when the the authors were people who were following the Lord, they are now in a spot that they are being punished for what others have done. They are hurting and broken.
Psalm 42:1–2 ESV
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
First and foremost, they point out this very important fact, that our souls long for God.
Our souls are His very breath, and so they are constantly searching for God and want to spend time with Him.
Deer move like this. They wake up, and search for water. Before they go to bed, they find a spot that is near water to bed down. They long for it, and in the same way, our souls long to be with God. Our soul longs to praise His name!
Psalm 42:3–4 ESV
My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
Now we are starting to see the depth of the hurt that they are experiencing. The sorrow that they feel. To say that your tears have been your food day and night is a very hard saying showing just how bad things can get.
Then, we finally get to this point
Psalm 42:5–6 ESV
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
This becomes the big question right? They looked deep within and realized that while they are hurting, while they are having trouble praising God in the spot that they wanted to, they ask the question “Why are you down cast o my soul?”
This is an internal question to ask yourself in moments when you are feeling lost, discouraged, hurt, neglected, or in a spot finding it hard to praise God.
Right after they ask the question though, they hit their souls with this imperative. A command to their soul to praise God. They tell their soul to hope in God. To praise Him

Sometimes you have to tell yourself to Praise God

Their reminder to themselves was they they have to Praise God. That even in the spot they were in, even with how bad things were for them, they still needed to Praise God.

Praise Him by remembering what He has done

The second thing they do is that they remind themselves of what God has done. That He is the same God whether they are worshiping in the temple or in some far away land. That they are praising the same God who is with them in times of want and plenty, in times of good and bad, hurt and joy. He is the same God no matter what and deserves to be praised!!
Psalm 42:11 ESV
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
They wrap up this passage with the same reminder.
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